10 min read Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) CHEYENNE — The typical Tesla owner is an upper-middle-class male in his 50s who makes more than $150,000 a year, according to Business Insider. But Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich of Cheyenne, who owns a Cybertruck, is anything but typical. The baby boomer grandma was taking her first computer programming classes in 1968 — the same year the Apollo Guidance Computer made its debut, but long before those clunky Commodores and Tandy models from Radio Shack were a thing. “You don’t think of a baby boomer grandma being a Tesla Cybertruck owner,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “But, you know, one of my friends made the comment when she found out I had the Cybertruck, she said, ‘That is so you,’ because I tend to be the person that is leading edge on technology.” Meister-Emerich is still a technology hound at 75 years young, and her brand-new Cybertruck’s space-age appearance is exactly what she likes about it. It’s stainless steel body reminds her of a DeLorean, a vehicle she had always wanted to get but never did. “There was an ad one time for a used one for $10,000,” Meister-Emerich said. “And I thought about maybe borrowing the money, but then I thought I’ve got a lot of better things I need to use my money on.” When she saw Elon Musk’s new Cybertruck with all its cool angles and sharp corners, it was like seeing the DeLorean all over again. She was in love. “Some people hate that angular look and want a real rounded look, but I’m a math person, and I like all the angles and sharp corners and stuff like that,” she said. “So, on Valentine’s Day of 2022, I put my money down. You put down $100, and it was refundable if you changed your mind.” Fast forward to this past June, Meister-Emerich got a text directing her to pick out which model of Cybertruck she wanted. Now it was time to put up or shut up. Was she going to go through with it? Was she going to get this sleek, shiny Cybertruck of her dreams? She and her husband talked it over and decided to go through with it. They picked the Foundation series. After that, they got a text telling them to expect delivery sometime between June and August. “I thought, ‘Oh, no problem, it’ll be August,” she said. “But a few days later, I got another text telling me to pick up my Cybertruck at the Aurora delivery center the very next week.” Nine Kinds Of A Conversation Starter And just like that, Meister-Emerich and her husband became Cybertruck owners. They quickly learned that had put them into something of a cool kids car club. People wanted to know what it was like to drive the truck. They wanted to take a peek inside and look at all the screens and the new technology. Emmerich is more than happy to oblige those requests. “I’m an extrovert,” Meister-Emerich said. “So, I open the door, I let the kids look at the screens, and I tell them about everything. And it’s always kind of fun to chat with people.” The car is nine kinds of a conversation starter, but not all the conversations have been friendly. The vehicle is definitely polarizing, Meister-Emerich said. “There are some who are just, they think you’re anti-American for owning a Tesla or an electric vehicle,” she said. “Like, well, let’s see. The Tesla is built in America. It’s built in Texas. Yeah, what’s un-American about owning a U.S.-made vehicle?” Others will tell her that electric vehicles are all bad or accuse her of being anti-oil and gas. In fact, on one occasion, Meister-Emerich had someone in a big Dodge pickup drive by her and the Cybertruck, blowing out a massively dark and rolling coal-black cloud of smoke at her, clearly trying to make a statement about fossil fuels. She just shakes her head at such things. She’s already well-aware that the electricity she uses to power electric vehicles comes from coal and oil and gas, as well as wind, solar and, probably soon, nuclear. “Just because I’m using my fuel in a different format than their fuel, why is that a problem?” she said. “I mean, I agree with Gov. (Mark) Gordon. I think an all-of-the-above strategy is appropriate. You use the right tool for the job.” She’s even had some accuse her of showing off, flaunting her wealth. “This was cheaper than the Corvette I was looking at,” she said. “A Suburban costs about the same amount of money. Would they be going up to people and making rude comments to them if they’re driving the top-of-the-line Dodge pickup, or a Suburban or a Corvette?” Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) Cheyenne resident Dr. Karen Meister-Emerich loves her new Cybertruck because it reminds her of a Delorean and it's packed with technology. The 75-year-old grandma breaks the mold of the typical Tesla owner. (Matt Idler for Cowboy State Daily) Arrow left